Suspect indicted for 2013 murder of Smith family

The bodies of 30-year-old Atira Hughes Smith, her 7-year-old son Jaidon Hill and Hughes' husband, 34-year-old Laterry Smith were found inside an abandoned house off of Shelby Road in November 2013. Source: WLBT archives

The abandoned house where the bodies were discovered. Source: WLBT Archives

Source: WLBT Archives

COPIAH COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -

After nearly nine months, there is finally movement in the courts involving a family murdered in 2013.

Timothy Burns who has been in jail charged in murder of the Smith family since last November, has been indicted on multiple charges; two counts of capital murder, one count of rape, and one count of arson.

Burns is only being charged in the deaths of 7 year old Jaidon Hill and his mother Atira, but not in the murder of Laterry Smith, who was killed in the same incident. The indictment revealed for the first time that Atira Smith was also raped.

The search for the Smith family began when their vehicle was found burned out off Highway 18. Then another clue; Atira Smith's personal items were found discarded in a dumpster off Raymond Road.

That led investigators to their bodies, found on November 2nd , in a wooded area of Copiah county.

We have learned a second individual arrested in the murder, Cedric Mason, has been released.

Since Laterry Smith was murdered in Jackson, his case would have to be prosecuted by the Hinds County District Attorney's office, but so far no one has been charged there.

Timothy Burns will be arraigned on his indictment charges Friday at 9 in Hazlehurst.